SLIDING DOWN A SLIPPERY SLOPE

The last time Ulster and Ireland both played in the same week, both teams lost. That was only two weeks ago, and this week it was just the same. And both sides could have won their games, but for slightly different circumstances.

Ireland’s problem was their players – they just could not breach the Scottish line enough times to make the most of the dominance they held in the possession and territory stats. For Ulster, their inability to stop Glasgow’s dangerman Niko Matawalu proved fatal as he masterminded Ulster’s downfall.

Not for the first time, it was a bad weekend to be from Northern Ireland…

Warriors wipe the floor

It’s now been a long time since we last saw Ulster put in a decent performance. You probably have to go back to the Scarlets match in January for the last time Ulster really clicked into gear, and on that day they ran in five tries in the second half to get all five points. Since then, it’s been several stuttering performances, and the wheels are threatening to fall off the Ulster wagon.

The loss to Glasgow leaves them only three points ahead of the Scots, but with arguably an easier run in than the Scotstoun side. It’s a very different situation to where the Ulstermen were three weeks ago.

However, the better side did win the game. Glasgow were better in attack, more clinical and defended well too. Their scrum-half Niko Matawalu was a livewire, making quick darts down the wing and scoring that vital fourth try for the home side. If the Warriors’ kicker Peter Horne had gotten even two of his kicks then Ulster would have left with nothing.

For Ulster it was a case of slack defending and not making most of the areas where they had an advantage. Too many times the Glaswegians made a break through the Ulster defence and it eventually cost them. On the flipside, they themselves did not break through enough times to really trouble the Glasgow line, and in the scrum where they were completely dominant they just could not make the most of that advantage.

Quite surprisingly, it was the boot of Ruan Pienaar that also let Ulster down. He missed three kickable penalties and a conversion which would have given Ulster the victory. However he was off target with those four and Ulster were left rueing their missed chance. Many claim Pienaar looks jaded – is he needing a rest?

Leaving that quandary behind, there were also other worrying factors to take forward for Ulster, most notably yet another injury, this time to Paddy Wallace, who has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, ending his season. It is a big blow for the Ulstermen, who would have liked to have had his experience for the Heineken Cup quarter-final in April. They are lucky that Luke Marshall is really stepping up well.

Ulster are back in action this Friday against Treviso. There needs to be a change in Ulster’s fortunes, and fast…

Shamrocks beaten by Flower of Scotland

Sunday was an ugly day for Irish rugby. In Italy, Munster were mauled by Treviso. In Edinburgh, Ireland mauled Scotland in every area of the game bar the scoreline.

Despite ending up with over 70% of the possession and territory, Ireland ended up on the wrong end of a 12-8 scoreline and left Murrayfield lamenting missed opportunities and poor discipline.

It was a case of simply not taking their chances. Ireland had plenty of ball to do something with it, yet they could only cross the line once through Craig Gilroy. And then once Scotland got their chances, they kicked their penalties through Greig Laidlaw and won the match.

The difference between the two sides was just that. Scotland went for their kicks. Ireland did not. This was a poor selection choice by Declan Kidney – despite knowing that Paddy Jackson does not kick for Ulster, he selected the 21-year-old and nominated him to kick. It proved fatal, as Jackson only landed one out of four.

What Kidney should have done was selected another place-kicker in the team too, such as Fergus McFadden, so that in the event of a poor kicking performance, they had someone to switch to. Outside his goal-kicking, though, Jackson had a very impressive debut performance, linking up well with Luke Marshall outside him.

Marshall himself was probably Ireland’s stand out performer. He made two superb breaks, was very solid in defence and did nothing to harm his international credentials. On the wing, Craig Gilroy also had a great game, scoring Ireland’s only try, however he was withdrawn due to a groin injury early in the second half.

Where Ireland lost it was similar to Ulster – in the scrum. However, unlike Ulster, Ireland were absolutely crushed at the set piece. First Tom Court and then David Kilcoyne both struggled to stand up to the Scottish tighthead, and it was no surprise that Ireland lost. Rory Best struggled at the line-out too, and lost Ireland some very good attacking positions.

It is clear however, that Ronan O’Gara must go. Once he came on, it was hoped that his kicking would be able to save Ireland. However, he did just the opposite. He struggled to get the back line going, his kicking wasn't quite on the money, and his cameo appearance was summed up when he was caught in possession and decided rather than take the tackle he would cross-kick along the line, only to hand possession straight to ever dangerous Tim Visser – not good enough. It is a shame to see such a great player go out on such a low note.

Much like Ulster, there will have to be some improvement for Ireland by the time France come calling. Otherwise, the Italy match could be a shoot-out for the Wooden Spoon…

Rabo Round-Up

Zebre just can’t catch a break can they? This time they were beaten out by one point by the Newport-Gwent Dragons and they missed a late penalty to snatch victory from the Welsh side’s hands. However, if they keep plugging away, they will eventually get the win they so richly desire.

Good wins for Leinster and the Ospreys over the Scarlets and Edinburgh respectively keep their play-off chances alive. Leinster’s bonus point may also prove crucial once we get to the business end of the season.

Congratulations to Connacht as well, who got a great win away to Cardiff, even though they were missing their key man Dan Parks to injury. They are no pushovers anymore, and they are now a tough side for any team to beat.

But the plaudits of the weekend were drawn by Treviso with a marvellous bonus point win over Munster in Italy. Five tries, even with a man sin binned at one point, is no mean feat over any Irish side, and the Italians have really shown their intent to cause many major scalps. They will prove very difficult opposition for Ulster next weekend.

GOING TO GLASGOW - AGAIN

In the midst of a mini injury crisis, Ulster look at their fixture list dreading their next game – a 1^st v 2^nd clash away to Glasgow, and it will not be easy.

Glasgow have been undefeated since early December and come into the game on the back of two bonus point victories against Zebre and the Dragons, notching up fourteen tries in the process, eight of which came in a 60-3 win last week in Newport.

They are undoubtedly the form team in the Pro12 right now, and Ulster will have to go there missing 21 players…

Four out of four?

Ulster have already beaten Glasgow three times this season – once in the Pro12 and twice in the Heineken Cup. Tonight Ulster will be aiming to make it a clean sweep against their Scottish opponents, but they face an uphill task to do so.

After the devastating news on Monday that Johann Muller will be out for at least another four weeks, Ulster now have to cope with 21 players missing out due to injury or international call-ups. The surprising call by Ireland coach Declan Kidney to start Paddy Jackson and Luke Marshall for Sunday’s match against Scotland limits Anscombe’s hand considerably.

So Ulster head to Glasgow with what could be considered not a ramshackle team, but certainly not a full strength team. Out of the twenty-three selected, only four would make it into a full strength Ulster side. Even for an international period, that is a surprisingly low number.

But every side has to deal with injuries and call-ups, and because of Irish injuries too, Ulster are even more limited. That said, so are Glasgow. They are missing several backs to injury, and twelve of their first team are involved with Scotland. While on the face of the matter it may be 1^st v 2^nd, in reality it’s two second string sides battling it out.

The game itself, however, should be just as physical and hard-hitting as it would have been if it was two first teams going at each other. Glasgow are the typical “grind-it-out” team – they do everything right and then capitalise on opposition mistakes. On rare occasions they do turn on the style (like last week) and when they do, they can cut through sides like a hot knife through butter.

For Ulster it has to be a case of keeping it tight. No mistakes, no sloppy errors like the last few weeks – they have to be strong in all areas. If they can outmanoeuvre Glasgow in the forwards then that should be enough to let the backs loose. With some interesting selections there, it will be interesting to see how they get on.

I’m all for being positive, and I am confident that if Ulster play to their best then they will steal the win. However, Ulster have been off form since the Scarlets game back in early January and Glasgow, coupled with the home advantage, look a safe bet. I’m going to go risky and back the lads though! Prediction – Ulster by 2.

Teams

Glasgow have given Peter Horne his fiftieth start at fly-half this evening as one of six changes made by coach Gregor Townsend. Due to multiple injuries in the front row, Ofa Fainga’anuku gets only his second start for the Warriors at loosehead and Ed Kalman starts on the tighthead side. Pat MacArthur is released from international duty to line up between them at hooker. Josh Strauss replaces James Eddie at blindside flanker, and John Barclay returns from the Scotland camp to take his place at openside. Nikola Matawalu returns to his favoured position of scrum-half to allow Tommy Seymour to start on his return from injury.

Ulster make eleven changes to the side that beat Zebre last Friday. Paddy Wallace will make his first start of the season at fly-half, while Stuart Olding takes his place at inside centre. Andrew Trimble also takes up an unfamiliar position at outside centre with Mark Anscombe giving a full debut to Dublin-born winger Neil Walsh. The front row is completely changed with Nigel Brady starting at hooker in his first match since November. Alongside him are Callum Black and John Afoa who captains the side. Neil McComb replaces the injured Johann Muller at lock, while Dan Tuohy returns from his injury to start alongside him. Conor Joyce and Ali Birch are drafted into the back row.

Glasgow Warriors vs. Ulster Rugby

RaboDirect Pro12, Round 16

Friday 22^nd February, 19:35

Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

GLASGOW WARRIORS

15. Peter Murchie, 14. Tommy Seymour, 13. Mark Bennett, 12. Alex Dunbar, 11. DTH van der Merwe, 10. Peter Horne, 9. Nikola Matawalu; 1. Ofa Fainga’anuku, 2. Pat MacArthur, 3. Ed Kalman, 4. Tim Swinson, 5. Tom Ryder, 6. Josh Strauss, 7. John Barclay, 8. Ryan Wilson (c).

16. Fraser Brown, 17. Luke Pettie, 18. Garry Mountford, 19. Nick Campbell, 20. James Eddie, 21. Sean Kennedy, 22. Scott Wight, 23. Graeme Morrison.

ULSTER RUGBY

15. Ricky Andrew, 14. Neil Walsh, 13. Andrew Trimble, 12. Stuart Olding, 11. Mike Allen, 10. Paddy Wallace, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Callum Black, 2. Nigel Brady (c), 3. John Afoa, 4. Neil McComb, 5. Dan Tuohy, 6. Conor Joyce, 7. Ali Birch, 8. Robbie Diack.

16. Rob Herring, 17. Ricky Lutton, 18. Andrew Warwick, 19. Alan O’Connor, 20. Mike McComish, 21. Paul Marshall, 22. Darren Cave, 23. Chris Cochrane.

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 91^st competition game)

Assistant Referees: David Changleng, Adrian Graves (both SRU)

Citing Commissioner: Rob Flockhart (SRU)

TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU)

Around the grounds

This week’s fixtures feature another top four tussle and a basement battle. Can Zebre get their first win? Will Leinster keep pace with the top two?

Treviso vs. Munster – Home win

Cardiff vs. Connacht – Home win

Leinster vs. Scarlets – Home win

Ospreys vs. Edinburgh – Home win (BP)

Zebre vs. Dragons – Home win

STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Yes we got the bonus point. Yes we’re still seven points clear at the top of the table. But to put it simply: that performance was only marginally better than last weekend’s defeat. And against any other side we could have been beaten for the second week running.

Certainly if Ulster replicate that performance against Glasgow next week then they will be humiliated. It was dire, it was lethargic, and above all it was riddled with errors. At this level that just isn’t acceptable and the longer Ulster repeat those performances, the longer they will continue to repeat them.

Five points, but a lot of work to be done…

Finding the positives

It’s easy to be negative after the game, but there are a lot of positives that can come from a win like that. Mark Anscombe talked after the game about the enthusiasm that the players showed, and that is something that cannot be faulted. From Luke Marshall’s charge down inside the first minute, to Andrew Trimble’s kick chase in overtime, you could not criticise their dedication to the cause. Unfortunately dedication is only one side of the coin, and you have to have the ability to match it in order to be successful.

Maybe I am being a bit over-critical – Ulster did manage to get the four tries, and that’s all that was needed. They could have had two more actually, if TMO Peter Ferguson had ruled that Chris Cochrane didn’t put a foot in touch and Iain Henderson had managed to ground the ball at the base of the post-protector. From the start you could see that was the aim as Ruan Pienaar turned down a very kickable penalty in the first few minutes, and they achieved that aim. Job done, even if the manner which they did it in wasn’t so good.

In a complete reversal to last week, Rob Herring’s line-outs were solid and found their target each time (bar one), and once Niall Annett replaced him this continued. In the second half, Ulster’s scrums were also very strong after the introduction of John Afoa at half-time, which gave them the crucial field positions to score their tries from.

There were plenty of strong individual performances too – most notably back rows Iain Henderson and Robbie Diack, who appear to be the two players fighting it out for the 6 shirt in Stephen Ferris’ absence. Both made their presences known on the field, flying into rucks and making barrelling runs forward, Diack scoring two tries himself.

At full-back Ricky Andrew continued to improve with another composed performance which he capped off with Ulster’s bonus point try. The Ballymena man is slowly becoming an established back-up for Jared Payne. Andrew Trimble also put in another committed effort in an attempt to prove to Declan Kidney that he should be the one who replaces the injured Simon Zebo.

So it wasn’t all bad for Ulster.

Someone call the paramedics…

It wasn’t so good to see several players limp off injured though – especially since they are all big players for Ulster.

First was Luke Marshall who suffered two dead legs near the end of the first half. Yes, not one, but two! Not too bad a loss for Ulster since he will be away with Ireland this week anyway, but it is a disappointment for the man himself who was looking to put in a good performance to show the Ireland selectors that he can be the one to replace the injured Gordon D’Arcy.

Next to fall was another man who would have been away with Ireland – Chris Henry. And I say would because after being ruled out for four weeks, he will miss the remainder of the Six Nations. Luckily for Ulster he will be back in time for the Heineken Cup quarter-final so this injury may be a blessing rather than a curse.

Last to limp off was Johann Muller, with a groin strain. And unfortunately, it has resulted in another lengthy spell on the sidelines – he will be out for up to six weeks. Out of all of the injuries, this one should be the one that hurts Ulster the most. His influence and leadership skills are crucial for the Ulstermen and if he misses the Heineken Cup quarter-final then it will be considerably harder for them to win.

In all, Ulster will be missing 25 players for Friday’s match vs. Glasgow…

BACK TO BASICS

I don’t like to talk about losses, so I won’t dwell on last week. It was a poor result, and Ulster know that. But it’s time to move on – Zebre are coming to town and if Ulster don’t get back into the right frame of mind then they could end up being embarrassed.

Ignore the fact that Zebre haven’t won a game yet. They’ve come very close in a few of their matches (remember our game in Italy?) and last week they played some brilliant rugby against Glasgow, only to come up short. Their attack can be scintillating at times, but their defence always tends to be rather weak.

It could be closer than you think…

Home comforts

Ulster have only lost once at home to an Italian team – that was last season when Treviso left Belfast on the right end of a 23-12 scoreline. In that match, Ulster were slack, indecisive and looked like they didn’t want to be on the pitch. It’s an attribute that people have associated with Ulster – they don’t play well during international periods.

Last year’s Autumn Internationals would have suggested otherwise – Ulster won all of their games during that period. However, their start to the Six Nations period has been the opposite – played one, lost one.

It’s crucial for Ulster to get back into their winning mentality, and they should do against Zebre. However, as I’ve said, the Italians shouldn’t be underestimated as they have some quality players in their ranks – Daniel Halangahu is a brilliant overseas capture for them, and they have internationals in their ranks too, most notably Marco Bortolami and Mauro Bergamasco.

It’s a good thing that Ulster welcome back their big name stars too – they’ll need them to score the four tries that they could end up needing. Chris Henry’s work at the breakdown and Declan Fitzpatrick’s scrummaging ability could prove crucial in getting the upper hand needed to break down the Zebre defence.

The return of John Afoa from an extended break is also a welcome addition to the Ulster side. His absence last weekend was very apparent and his impact off the bench could prove vital if Ulster are chasing that fourth try near the end of the game. With Nick Williams and Stephen Ferris both injured, his ball carrying will be especially important.

I’m not looking any further than an Ulster win this week. Call it arrogance if you will but if we can’t win this game then we don’t deserve to be top of the league. Indeed, the same probably applies if we can’t put the four tries past them. Expect the Ulstermen to be going all out from the start of the game. Prediction – Ulster by 25 (BP)

Teams

Ulster welcome back Paddy Jackson, Declan Fitzpatrick, Iain Henderson and Chris Henry from Ireland call-ups – all four start. Darren Cave partners Luke Marshall at centre in the absence of Paddy Wallace and Chris Cochrane replaces Mike Allen at wing. Neil Walsh will make his debut if he comes on at some stage.

Zebre have Paolo Buso, Gonzalo Garcia and Andrea de Marchi back from Italian duty, and all three start in a side that has eight changes from their defeat to Glasgow last Sunday. Sarto, Benettin and Sinoti are all recalled in the backline after being rested last weekend. Redolfini is promoted to the front row alongside de Marchi and Manici, while Josh Sole comes in for van Schalkwyk at number 8.

Ulster Rugby vs. Zebre

Friday 15^th February, 19:05

RaboDirect PRO12, Round 15

Ravenhill

ULSTER

15. Ricky Andrew, 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Luke Marshall, 11. Chris Cochrane, 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Tom Court, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Declan Fitzpatrick, 4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Lewis Stevenson, 6. Iain Henderson, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Robbie Diack.

16. Niall Annett, 17. Callum Black, 18. John Afoa, 19. Neil McComb, 20. Mike McComish, 21. Michael Heaney, 22. Stuart Olding, 23. Neil Walsh.

ZEBRE

15. Paolo Buso, 14. Leonardo Sarto, 13. Alberto Benettin, 12. Gonzalo Garcia, 11. Sinoti Sinoti, 10. Daniel Halangahu, 9. Alberto Chillon; 1. Andrea de Marchi, 2. Andrea Manici, 3. Luca Redolfini, 4. Michael van Vuuren, 5. Marco Bortolami (c), 6. Filippo Cristiano, 7. Mauro Bergamasco, 8. Josh Sole.

16. Carlo Festuccia, 17. Carlo Fazzari, 18. Matias Aguero, 19. Dries van Schalkwyk, 20. Nicola Belardo, 21. Alberto Chiesa, 22. Matteo Pratichetti, 23. David Odiete.

Referee: Neil Paterson (SRU, 47^th competition game)

Assistant Referees: Paul Haycock, Barry O’Keefe (both IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: John West (IRFU)

TMO: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)

Around the grounds

If Ulster can get their five points tomorrow, then the other games could be crucial…

Dragons v Glasgow – Away win

Edinburgh v Blues – Home win

Connacht v Ospreys – Away win

Leinster v Treviso – Home win (BP)

Scarlets v Munster – Home win

DOUBLE DISASTER

Hopes were high heading into the weekend. It’s now Tuesday and I can’t think of how that weekend could have been any worse for Ireland and Ulster. Two disappointing home losses for the local and national sides and there are a lot of injuries to look at.

Ulster less so, but the injuries to Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Wallace are worrying – two players who have been very influential for them this season. For Ireland though, the injury list is massive. Jonny Sexton and Simon Zebo are both set for lengthy layoffs, while a whole plethora of players are doubts for the Scotland match in two weeks.

Where to begin…

Beaten by the better team

Unfortunately it’s true. Ulster did not play well on Friday night and they paid for it. The Ospreys defended for their lives, held the white shirted men out time and time again and took their chance when it came their way. The only surprising thing was that it was a prop that scored the try!

You could make a case for complacency. With Johann Muller and Dan Tuohy returning to the squad after lengthy lay-offs due to injury, it seemed as though everything was falling into place for the Ulstermen – only two losses all season and finally it seemed their injury woes were slowly coming to an end.

But the Ospreys had something to say about that and they did it very professionally. They had the majority of the ball and every time Ulster attacked their line, they shut down the threat and made sure there was no chance of an Ulster try. Indeed, Ulster never really had a real line break during the match.

I think it was more a case of the Ospreys winning the match than Ulster losing it. A lot of the time you watch Ulster matches and you think, “If only…” or “Maybe if we had…” Not this time. The Ospreys came to Belfast with the correct game plan and came away with a deserved win.

In fact, Ulster didn’t even play that badly. They were just lacking a cutting edge in attack that meant they couldn’t find the decisive blow. Even with the in-form Luke Marshall making his great runs, backed up by the impressive Mike Allen and ever-improving Ricky Andrew, the Welsh side held firm and stopped every attack in its tracks.

So where do Ulster go from here? Next up are Zebre – and this game will have to be targeted as a five-pointer, otherwise the eleven point lead that they had created will soon be wiped out, and all of the hard work they’d done at the start of the season will count for nothing. It will be down to Mark Anscombe to make sure the guys are back and ready for that game – the league isn’t won yet.

Any complacency this weekend, and it could get even worse for Ulster…

Grand Slam gone

In similar circumstances to Ulster, Ireland were well beaten by an England side who outplayed them from start to finish. They wore Ireland down and then used the boot of Owen Farrell to maintain their advantage. It was smart play and it worked beautifully – and now the English are the only team on for the Grand Slam.

Ireland simply didn’t do enough with the ball. They seemed determined to kick the ball away at every opportunity through Ronan O’Gara and didn’t put together that many phases. In complete contrast to England, they had the wrong gameplan. The set-piece had been going very well during the match and rather than use that, they decided it would be best to use the kicking game.

Maybe on another day the kicking tactic would have been the right one. But O’Gara wasn’t kicking well and the wingers that Ireland had on the field weren’t renowned kickers either. It all boiled down to that simple fact – Ireland played the wrong game. Declan Kidney got it wrong.

Fair play to the English, they did everything right. Farrell’s kicking game was reminiscent of Wilkinson’s in his heyday, while the scrum was as strong as usual. The only place you could fault them was in their dealing with Ireland’s set-piece. They struggled with the Irish rolling maul, as I’ve already said, if the Irish had taken advantage of that then the result could have been different.

Regarding the rest of the Six Nations, it’s now hard to look past an English Grand Slam. France and Wales are both in poor form and should be dispatched, while Italy should prove little threat. Ireland will have to hang on in hope of an English slip-up, while winning all their remaining games. However, if O’Gara starts the final games in Sexton’s absence then I wouldn’t hold out much hope for that either.

Time for both teams to shake off their losses and move on. For Ulster they are still commanding the Pro12, for Ireland they can still win the Six Nations. However, both are looking shaky and will need convincing wins next time out to prove that they are still all they’re made out to be…

DOUBLE DELIGHT

It’s that time of year again where we can sit back and enjoy two great games in one weekend – first up are Ulster against defending Pro12 champions the Ospreys at Ravenhill tomorrow night, and then Ireland face off against England on Sunday in Dublin.

Neither are easy matches. Ulster are still in the midst of a mini-injury crisis and will be without influential prop John Afoa for their game, while Ireland come up against arguably the in-form side in the northern hemisphere right now. Will it be an Irish double or an overseas whitewash?

We’ll have to wait and see…

Different double

Ulster have never done the domestic double over their Welsh counterparts before. By this I mean Ulster haven’t beaten the Ospreys home and away in the same season – ever. After their gritty 16-13 win earlier in the season in the Liberty Stadium, Ulster will be confident that that record will be broken this weekend.

They have broken records already this season – first away win in France, best start to the season by an Ulster side and their first win over Leinster since 2009. To add to that would be another remarkable achievement for the Ulstermen and coach Mark Anscombe.

Standing in their way is an Ospreys side who aren’t in the best form. They are on a four match streak without a win and are desperately seeking something to get them back on track. An away trip to the runaway league leaders would not have been ideal for them. That said, they have only lost once in their last ten league encounters.

What will worry Ulster most this weekend will be the number of players available. Jared Payne, Adam D’Arcy, Tommy Bowe, Chris Farrell, Paddy McAllister, Adam Macklin, Stephen Ferris, Sean Doyle, Nick Williams and Roger Wilson all miss out due to injury, while Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson, Rory Best, Declan Fitzpatrick, Iain Henderson and Chris Henry are all called up to the Ireland squad. Sixteen absentees.

In their place come a raft of young players eager to make their mark. Ricky Andrew is improving with every game and I for one am looking forward to seeing him play again. Chris Cochrane and Mike Allen are two to look out for in the future and Ali Birch is hoping to make his mark on the side after a decent cameo against Munster.

But the main guy to watch out for this weekend is Stuart Olding. He has impressed on many occasions for the Ireland U20s and, like Birch, had a good cameo down in Limerick. Now he has got his chance outside Ruan Pienaar with a long awaited start for his province. If he can take it, then Ulster could be in the luxurious position of two young out-halves challenging for the starting position – something which every other club in Europe would love.

The Ospreys can also boast a strong side even in the middle of a Six Nations period. The return of Alun Wyn Jones from injury will be a great boost for the Swansea side, both physically and mentally. In-form scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i is an unbelievable player too, and Ulster would be wise to keep a close eye on him at all times.

If the weather holds out then this could be a cracker. But Ulster’s young guns will have to turn up, as will their old guys. The return of Johann Muller to captain the side will be an incredible psychological boost for the home side and should have enough influence to give Ulster the victory. Against such a good defensive side in the Ospreys however, a bonus point would be too much to ask though. Prediction – Ulster by 4.

Ulster v Ospreys

Ravenhill
Friday 8^th February, 19:05
RaboDirect PRO12, Round 14

ULSTER

15. Ricky Andrew, 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Luke Marshall, 12. Paddy Wallace, 11. Mike Allen, 10. Stuart Olding, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Callum Black, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Tom Court, 4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Lewis Stevenson, 6. Mike McComish, 7. Ali Birch, 8. Robbie Diack.

16. Niall Annett, 17. Ricky Lutton, 18. Andrew Warwick, 19. Dan Tuohy, 20. Neil McComb, 21. Paul Marshall, 22. Darren Cave, 23. Chris Cochrane.

OSPREYS

15. Richard Fussell, 14. Tom Habberfield, 13. Tom Isaacs, 12. Jonathan Spratt, 11. Ben John, 10. Matthew Morgan, 9. Kahn Fotuali’i (c); 1. Ryan Bevington, 2. Scott Baldwin, 3. Cai Griffiths, 4. Ian Gough, 5. James King, 6. Morgan Allen, 7. Sam Lewis, 8. Joe Bearman.

16. Matthew Dwyer, 17. Duncan Jones, 18. Dmitri Arhip, 19. Alun Wyn Jones, 20. Lloyd Peers, 21. Arthur Ellis, 22. Ross Jones, 23. Jamie Murphy.

Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 15^th competition game)

Assistant Referees: Paul Haycock, Nigel Correll (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)
TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Live on BBC NI and BBC Wales

Emerald shamrocks vs. Red roses

It’s only Round Two, but this match is already being touted as the one that will decide who wins the Six Nations. It may turn out to be, but personally I feel it’s a bit early to be calling it that. As Italy proved last week (congratulations to them by the way) anything can be done in rugby. Even the mighty French can be humbled when they are off their game.

This week the game will be won in one place – the scrum. I say this every week because there is the saying that “Forwards win games, backs decide by how much”, but this week I say it because I really think it. Whoever has the dominance in the scrum will walk this match. Will Ireland have that dominant scrum?

It’s a well known fact that England have a very strong scrum. They attack their opponents with brutal strength and it usually gives them a great platform to push on from and get their victories – just look at the Scotland match last week. England’s forwards were irresistibly good.

For Ireland to have any chance of getting the win and putting themselves as the front runners in the Six Nations then they will have to at least match the English up front. Ireland have the decisive backs to make the difference if they get the front foot ball. If they do, then they will win.

I wasn’t going to back Ireland to beat Wales last weekend and they proved me wrong. However, Welsh rugby is in a poor place at the moment and they will be struggling to do well this season. This weekend I think it will be a big wake up call for the Irish – I backed England to do the Grand Slam at the beginning of the tournament and I still think they will. I really hope I’m wrong though. Prediction – England by 6.

Ireland v England

Aviva Stadium
Sunday 10^th February, 15:00
RBS Six Nations, Round 2

IRELAND*

15. Rob Kearney (Leinster), 14. Simon Zebo (Munster), 13. Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), 12. Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), 11. Craig Gilroy (Ulster), 10. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), 9. Conor Murray (Munster); 1. Cian Healy (Leinster), 2. Rory Best (Ulster), 3. Mike Ross (Leinster), 4. Mike McCarthy (Connacht), 5. Donnacha Ryan (Munster), 6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster), 7. Sean O’Brien (Leinster), 8. Jamie Heaslip (c) (Leinster).

16. Sean Cronin (Leinster), 17. David Kilcoyne (Munster), 18. Declan Fitzpatrick (Ulster), 19. Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), 20. Chris Henry (Ulster), 21. Eoin Reddan (Leinster), 22. Ronan O’Gara (Munster), 23. Keith Earls (Munster).

ENGLAND*

15. Alex Goode (Saracens), 14. Chris Ashton (Saracens), 13. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester), 12. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), 11. Mike Brown (Harlequins), 10. Owen Farrell (Saracens), 9. Danny Care (Harlequins); 1. Joe Marler (Harlequins), 2. Dylan Hartley (Northampton), 3. Dan Cole (Leicester), 4. Joe Launchbury (Wasps), 5. Geoff Parling (Leicester), 6. James Haskell (Wasps), 7. Chris Robshaw (c) (Harlequins), 8. Tom Wood (Northampton).

16. Tom Youngs (Leicester), 17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens), 18. David Wilson (Bath), 19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton), 20. Thomas Waldrom (Leicester), 21. Ben Youngs (Leicester), 22. Toby Flood (Leicester), 23. Brad Barritt (Saracens).

Referee: Jerome Garces (France)

Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens (WRU), Pascal Gauzere (Fra)
TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (IRFU)

*Predicted teams

ONE DOWN, FOUR TO GO

Ireland have got off to a start. That’s all I’ll say right now, because the result left me feeling happy and concerned at the same time. Despite coming away with a deserved eight point victory at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the result was in the balance for the majority of the second half.

After a blistering first half display, Ireland were lucky to finish on the right side of a 30-22 scoreline after a lethargic and sloppy second half performance. Had it been against any of the other Six Nations sides, Ireland may not have been so fortunate – Wales simply just weren’t there psychologically.

Nevertheless, a win’s a win…

Woeful Wales

In the Six Nations, you take your chances and you take your points. If offered, Ireland would have taken a 3-0 win before the game – to be honest, any side would in the Six Nations (just another reason for the introduction of bonus points in the competition).

Ireland took their chances in the first half, which proved the difference. A sublime pass from Brian O’Driscoll put Simon Zebo through for the first try, then a bit of clever improvisation by Zebo kept an Ireland attack alive long enough for Cian Healy to barrel his way over for the second try. Two Jonny Sexton penalties kept Ireland’s advantage at 20 going to half-time following a Leigh Halfpenny penalty.

It was a complete turnaround in the second half however. Despite getting the first score through a Brian O’Driscoll try, it was one-way traffic in favour of the Welsh. Tries from Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny and Craig Mitchell reduced the deficit to just eight points with five minutes remaining. However, the deficit proved too much to overturn and the Irishmen held on for a win that could set them up perfectly for a Grand Slam attempt.

What will worry Declan Kidney most, however, is the fact that his side surrendered such a commanding position. They didn’t completely throw it away, no, but it will tell him a lot more than the lead they managed to gain. Complacency was definitely a factor in that second half and if they hadn’t put together a superb defensive performance for around ten minutes in the second half then the result could have been very embarrassing.

Next week, England won’t be as forgiving. They are a side on the up and they won’t want that to come to an end in the Aviva this weekend. They boast a very physical side, headlined by Manu Tuilagi at 13, and with the injuries that Ireland contracted on Saturday, it will be a very tough match for Ireland.

Kidney will draw positives from Saturday’s performance though. The return of Brian O’Driscoll could not have come at a better time and he proved he still has what it takes to play at the highest level. The dominant scrum will also please him – England are a big scrummaging unit and the front row will have to be on top form to even match them let alone beat them.

There will be plenty of fluent rugby next weekend in the Aviva. Sunday can’t come quickly enough…

Afoa away?

He only came on a two-and-a-half year contract, but hopes were high for Ulster fans whenever John Afoa signed from the Auckland Blues. However only one year on, the dreams of him staying long term were dashed after he announced he was looking forward to returning back to New Zealand.

Whether he will see out his full contract or not is another matter. Afoa’s family are all back in Auckland, and his wife is set to give birth to their third child in April. There are strong rumours that he will be leaving Belfast in the summer to be with his family, and to boost his chances of being one of thirty-five players making New Zealand’s 2015 World Cup squad (all of whom must play their club rugby in New Zealand).

Watch this space…

Super Superbowl!

A power cut, two brothers battling it out and a thrilling finale – it’s not rugby, but how could I not mention the Superbowl this week? It really was a family affair in New Orleans as brothers John and Jim Harbaugh faced off against each other in Superbowl XLVII.

They weren’t playing though, they were coaching! John was the victorious coach, leading the Baltimore Ravens to a 34-31 victory over his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers. And the game was a dramatic one.

After racing into a 28-6 lead just after the half, it looked like the Ravens were home and dry. However, a power shortage in half of the stadium caused a thirty minute delay, and when the power eventually returned, the 49ers were sparked into life and scored three unanswered touchdowns to trail just 28-26. The Ravens managed to score two field goals to lead 34-26, but a 49ers field goal set up a nail-biting final few minutes.

With their final drive of the game, the 49ers were 4^th & Goal, needing a touchdown to win. However Colin Kaepernick couldn’t find his receiver in the end zone and the Ravens took a safety to win the game.

In my opinion, the Superbowl is one of the greatest sporting events on earth, from the game itself to the brilliant half times shows put on by the NFL. It’s worth staying up late to watch anyway – the game didn’t finish until 3:30am on Monday morning! Hopefully next season’s will be just as good…